Shibari Rope Bondage Art

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The ancient ritualistic art form of Shibari (Japanese Rope Art) first sparked the curiosity and fascination of the western fetish community, during the early stages of the Internet. Beautiful Japanese vixens embraced and rendered immobile, by an intricate pattern of natural hemp rope (Asanawa) over their exposed and vulnerable bodies. The art of Shibari evolved from the centuries aged practice by Japanese warriors, to effectively confine and torment their prisoners. Modern day Shibari still employs many of these same ancient rope tying techniques. As an art form, Shibari remains methodical, deliberate, and true to it’s origin. Although many of today’s practitioners incorporate a minor element of “torture” such as Shizuku (candle droppings) to the slave training session, the goal is to produce the perfect combination of both pain and pleasure through erotic stimulation. The asanawa and submissive ultimately become one work of living art. Many Shibari masters complete their masterpiece, by placing a patterned piece of fabric into and over the mouth of their submissive prior to forcing the slave to apex. The gag (megumi) serves as both a symbol of the Shibari ritual’s finale and the artist’s decoration of his completed work.
Asanawa Facts

Asanawa Megumi Shizuka

Asanawa is first boiled and soaked removing natural stiffness and impurities from the material. The rope is then tanned over a period of at least one week using pure bees wax at warm room temperature. The rope is then cured for approximately 7 days.

Contrary to popular western belief, the rope (asanawa) used in authentic Shibari, and it’s less usual counterpart “Kinbaku” (Japanese rope bondage) , is very soft and silky to the touch. The goal of a Shibari master is to render his slave helpless; not to bruise or damage the object of his creation.

The finest and most expensive hemp is grown in Bangladesh. The hemp is then imported to Japan, where it is braided into Jute rope of varied diameters of thickness; 8-10 mm for beginners, and 5-6 mm for “expert” riggers. The most popular length of rope sold to beginners and amateur is 7 meters. Expert riggers generally use a longer length of 8 meters. In either circumstance, it is very general for the rope master to make use of two or three individual lengths of rope to bind his slave effectively.

Asanawa does require a considerable amount of care to maintain it’s silky-smooth characteristics. After the initial tanning and curing process prior to first use, Asanawa is properly maintained with a simple but thorough application (sparingly) of mineral oil, approximately once a month. A myth generated on the Web, geared more to selling westerners expensive and exotic oils such a Biyou (horse oil extract) or Mink oil, are nothing more than saavy sales tactics by Internet marketeers attempting to “cash in” on a Shibari-challenged fetish community. True cost of maintaining your rope? Pocket alter and a local drugstore.

A rope of many colors – today you can acquire genuine Asanawa for your shibari and kinbaku in several different colors. Please be aware that dyed asanawa is NOT tanned with bees wax or cured. Although the dye will offer some degree of breakdown in the fiber bundles, (dyed) asanawa is generally less plastic, and void of the silky properties found in natural tanned varieties.